Con-Red: Recourse by Max Feinstein Page B

at least we know they aren’t stupid,” General Stelle took a moment to admire their tactical sense just as another shockwave passed through the base, closer this time than the one before it, knocking loose some syncrete from one of the walls.
    “New detonations along the perimeter and flanks, sir.  I believe they are trying to slow down the flow of reinforcements from the other sectors,” Colonel Lakler relayed as he read the unfolding situation before them.
    Whoever these hostiles were, thought Brinek, they knew exactly what they were doing and how to do it.  They were going after leadership targets quickly and with full force in order to disorient the rest of the military forces on the planet, making it harder for them to put together a cohesive defensive strategy.  The enemy had already disabled most of their communications network and would soon take down this base.  Being an optimist all his life, it was hard for the general to admit this failure, but it stemmed from reality.  He simply did not have the resources present to stop this very attack.  The enemy had surprised the hell out of everyone and he had to give them credit for that.
    The General took a deep breath and turned to look at Gustauf, who had the same feeling as Brinek. “Colonel Lalker, dump all the information we have obtained into the Couri ers and dispatch them to Tesa.”
    “Hostile forces have entered the base!  Repeat, hostile forces are inside t he base!” shouted the soldier manning the communications station. “Sensors are tracking them spreading out all over, but the majority is converging on this location.  They are moving quickly and appear to be breaking through all checkpoints.”
    Brinek keyed in the security cams on his CCT and took a step back as the image appeared.  It was of one of the large hallways stretching throughout the base.  At the bottom edge of the feed was a group of four armed soldiers crouching behind a pair of Tactical Shields, which were designed to stop incoming projectile and laser fire while at the same time allowing soldiers behind them to fire through special slots.  They were made from almost completely transparent metallic alloys and surrounding by a small forcefield to stop laser weapons.
    Just then, at the top of the screen a door exploded from the side of a wall and slammed into the wall opposite it.  Through this forced opening jumped what seemed like an orange mass of armor and beast.  Whatever it was bounced off the opposite wall on four legs almost like the armored door had done, before accelerated towards the soldiers standing at their post in the hallway behind their shields.  Behind the creature more enemy soldiers appeared, all running through the door on four legs with their heads, or what he assumed to be their heads, pointed down. Laser and projectile fire seemed to splash and impact all around the first creature, but it was hard to notice if any damage was actually done because the thing kept on coming in almost a blur, a testament to their speed.
    Brinek noted that all of the hostiles seemed to have what looked like a small cannon attached to their back s.  Just then the camera feed broke into a static for a few seconds.  When the display cleared, two of the soldiers behind their barrier were on the ground, dead or dying.  A flash filled the screen as something exploded and the first creature was thrown back against one of the walls with a deep crater in its underside.  There was no time to celebrate the minor victory as the rest of the enemy force was upon the checkpoints.  They didn’t even slow down as they crashed head first into the barriers and knocked them back as if they were made of foil.  The remaining soldiers were thrown into the walls with the same force and trampled over as they got in the way.
    He shook his head a little and let the camera feeds cycle again watching the image change one room or corridor after another.  The base was a massive underground